Literature Review
While multiculturalism has been a center of focus as a result of increased racism due to cultural backgrounds in counties such as the United States of America, Australia has continued to embrace multiculturalism. Many scholars have engaged in studies to understand how the nation is able to experience peace and harmony even in midst of increased cultural diversity. Multiculturalism or the idea of multiculturalism in a society represents an ability to accept and respect cultural diversity, a culture of inclusion as well as community harmony (Forrest & Dandy, 2018, p. 115). Australia is a highly diverse society and according to the Australia Migration Council, collectively the country speaks approximately 260 languages and also practices a variety of different religions yet it has coexisted peacefully over decades. This literature review will, therefore, focus on the understanding of the various perspectives of multiculturalism and their relevance in promoting nation power as well as the growth of a harmonious nation. The literature review will examine some of the major themes developed by different authors to enhance the understanding of multiculturalism in Australia such as Art, music, food, sports, literature as well as Dressing. The review will also provide an understanding of the background to the development of a multicultural society in Australia as well as the policies and practices contributing to the development of a peaceful society. The literature review will not only provide major arguments by different authors in understanding multiculturalism but also critically analyze their arguments to provide a broad analysis and understanding of Multiculturalism in Australia.
Brief Description of Multiculturalism
Multicultural has defined something or an idea that incorporates beliefs, ideas as well as people from different countries and different cultural background (Arasaratnam, 2014, p. 36). Multiculturalism is, therefore, a philosophy that involves ideologies as well as policies which range from the advocacy of equal respect as well as to the development of policies which promote the maintenance of cultural diversity in the society. According to sociology multiculturalism refers to the ideology that promotes the institutionalization and integration of communities containing different cultural groups (Blair, 2015, p. 440). Finally, from a political perspective, multiculturalism is used to define the advocacy of equal respect for the various cultures existing in a community and maintaining cultural diversity through the development of policies that define various ethnic and religious groups as belonging to one group.
The development of multiculturalism contributes to the development of a society that upholds cultural differences and develops policies that will contribute to peaceful coexistence in the society. As a result through cultural integration, people are able to learn different aspects of life from each other by putting away their differences to promote understanding of each other’s beliefs, attitudes, and ideologies (Ali, 2016, p. 160). Australia has had a long history of multiculturalism after the Second World War and was adopted as a means of through which the government could adopt a new form of cultural diverse migration policy. Since then various developments have been made towards the development of a multicultural society. The most important was the development of the Galbally Report of 1978 which focused on the renewal of the post-arrival migration programs and services. The development of this report was critical as it set out different programs of action based on guiding principles to ensure the development of Australia as a cohesive united as well as a multicultural nation. This report provided for equal opportunities for all members of Australia to develop or realize their full potential as well as maintain their culture without any prejudice or disadvantage by encouraging them to understand and embrace other cultures.
Brief Description of Multiculturalism
More recent developments in multicultural policy practice in Australia include the development of the National Agenda for a multicultural Australia. The national agenda played a critical role in setting important principles which have enhanced the development of multicultural policies in policy. These principles included the right to freely express your heritage, religion, and language as well as the right to equal treatment (Mann, 2016, p. 25). These principles have been critical in establishing a multicultural society in Australia through effective implementation of the policies by the government. Between the years 2007 to 2010 the National Multicultural Advisory Council (NMAC) was established to provide evidence to policymakers and the members of Australia community on social cohesion issues in relation to religious and cultural differences and as well as on how to overcome intolerance and racism in the country. The council would also provide advice on matters relating to the social as well as the civic participation of migrants in the Australian community without any form of discrimination. Another major contribution to the development of multicultural policies in Australia was in February 2011 when “The people of Australia” multicultural statement was launched by Gillard Labor Government (Ng, Metz, 2015, p. 262). This policy statement was critical in providing support for the development of a socially cohesive and culturally diverse nation as well as support the implementation of the recommendations made on the 2010 NMAC. The efforts of the government to develop policies that promote multiculturalism have also been supported through partnerships by different religious organizations in their effort to promote the development of a democratic, socially just and multicultural society.
Research provides that Australia is home of diverse cultural groups with different cultural orientations and possess different artistic qualities and capabilities. Australia indigenous arts are the oldest form of art in the world and this has been enhanced by the development of a multicultural society. The different artistic groups in Australia include musicians, dance troupes as well as theatre performers. Arts provides an opportunity for cultural exchanges through performances where the performing groups are able to learn from each other, learn different cultures and therefore help in promoting the integration of different cultural ideologies as well as multiculturalism (Levey, 2017, p. 105). However, the existence of different culture has been criticized for an increased lack of common artistic identity in a country. This is central to the Australian country has been able to establish its arts as the oldest in cultural history. The development of artist mediate projects in Australia has focused on enhancing creativity through imaginative efforts to develop artist works that promote the diversity of cultural expression. However different authors have criticized the continued use of arts for ethnic showcase arguing that promoting cultural diversity in arts should go beyond ethic shows towards the promotion of purpose and clarity of purpose through intellectual dialogue would promote cultural diversity.
Literature has also contributed to the development of multicultural society in Australia since after the development of multicultural policies in the 1970s were implemented, the country experienced migrant literature as well as indigenous literature and therefore provided an opportunity to learn different languages from different cultures (Forrest, 2014, p. 56). The music and film industry has been enhanced by the development of a multicultural society that has been able to embrace different cultures and integrate them into their different lifestyles. Different projects in Australia have therefore been developed to promote cultural diversity through arts such as the Talking Difference media program as well as the cultural infusion program. Research provides that Australia ability to promote cultural diversity has contributed to increased productivity and innovation, protection and respect for the human right as well significantly reducing the economic costs associated with racial discrimination and the resulting disadvantages in the society.
Art as a Multicultural factor
Different research works have developed an understanding of the role of immigration policies in the development and promotion of cultural diversity. The success of multicultural development in Australia has been attributed to the government efforts to develop and implement effective immigration policies that promoted the integration of cultural diversity. The Australian government involvement in the management of settlement and promotion of ethnic relations has been very critical and vocal in prohibiting any form of discrimination for the migrants and has always referred the nation as favorite destination place (Cahill & Taft, 2017, p. 32). The immigration policies have evolved since the end of the Second World War with improvements was made to enhance the success of the policies in developing a multicultural society. These efforts have made Australia to become the most successful multicultural society in the world and continue to amaze other nations on how they are able to integrate the many different cultural and ethnic groups in the community. The country has successfully been able to unify a multitude of cultures, experiences as well as beliefs and traditions. Regardless of an individual background, birthplace as well as religion the government has been clear that everyone in the country or coming into the country has a responsibility to engage with others as well as seek to understand one another and stand against or reject any form of racism or violence (Roose & Possamai, 2015, p. 95). Despite contradictory arguments by critics that cultural identity is very critical and therefore the government should not force the migrants to get into the universal Australian culture, the government has been able to provide that they only persuade the migrants to consider adoption of the multicultural policies to enhance national cohesion and improve their settlement experiences by making the country a migration nation. The research, therefore, provides that the successful implementation of the multicultural policy will mostly depend on the government efforts and their perspectives on immigration policies.
A multicultural society is also a multi-faith society and according to many researchers, the ability to coexist peacefully in such a society calls for greater understanding of freedom of religion and the needs to live peacefully (Moran, 2017, p. 250). According to the Australian Human right commission, freedom of religion is a human right and therefore it does not matter of whether there is a single person of faith or a million of the different faiths. It is critical however to understand that freedom of religion need not only to be protected but also to be balanced against other human rights. This has been one of the reasons why the Australia has emphasized on the need develop a perspective of peaceful country as the overall goals of protecting freedom of religion by providing that no matter our religious identity, it is our responsibility in our different religious faiths to promote the freedom of religion without discriminating against any other faith (Hlavac, Gentile, Orlando, Zucchi & Pappas, 2018, p. 72). This has been successfully being achieved in the country through religious partnerships in the country even in midst of tension arising from religious differences, different dialogue strategies have been developed to promote peaceful and harmonious coexistence. More emphasis has been laid however on how the people are able to talk about their differences; how they are able to value diversity will contribute to how they are able to live together towards a common goal of peaceful and harmonious multicultural society.
Ethnicity is defined as the state through which an individual is said to belong to a specific social group that has a common national or cultural tradition or identity (Piquet, 2017, p. 154). It is therefore seen as critical aspects of promoting national identity. In a society like Australia that has embraced cultural diversity, multiculturalism and ethnic identity have frequently been under attack from various sectors of the community. Multiculturalism has taken a positive meaning in the country increasing concerns of the effects it has on migrant’s national identity. Multiculturalism has led to the arrangement of various social policies and program that have improved migrants settlement and experiences in the country. Despite these developments, we cannot run away from the fact that the path of becoming increasingly multicultural and international society is often presented with increased challenges of understanding racial and ethnic identity (Soutphommasane, 2017, p. 291). Many scholars have provided an understanding of the relevance of ethnic identity in the promotion of social identity in a society in that it creates a sense of belong? Many of the critics of multiculturalism are the ability to deprive the migrants an opportunity to identify themselves with their ethnic through the adoption of universal policies which promote cultural diversity. However, researchers have also provided that the rapidly increasing number of individuals or migrants who self-identify as multicultural or multiracial has been pointed out to be a result or an evidence of improved tolerance for inclusivity and mixing among groups (Wilding & Nunn, 2018, p. 2550). The benefits of developing a multicultural society guided upon by universal multicultural policies for the migrants are critical than considerations of developing an ethnic identity. Furthermore, multiculturalism does not necessarily imply that individuals have no regard to their ethnic identities but the fact that they prefer letting go the ethnic identity aspects which would interfere with their settlements experiences in a new cultural environment as well as promote peaceful and harmonious living.
Multiculturalism in Australia has been associated with increased social and economic benefits that have led to the growth of the Australian economy. Migrants in any nation act as a source of great knowledge skills and experience which is critical for the development of various sectors. Boese, 2017, p. 110 provides that the Australian education system has been one of the sectors that have grown and improved as a result of the development of a culturally diverse nation. Cultural diversity in education has contributed to increased competitive advantage in the attraction of international students. While other countries such as the United States continues to suffer from increased challenges faced by international students in their learning and settlement experiences, Australia has continued to gain increased admission of international students to their tertiary institutions. The cohesive cultural diversity in Australia has contributed to the increased appeal of the nation as an education destination contributing to the growth of effective education sector. It has also been enhanced through the creation of cultural understanding through enhanced openness to diversity and challenges and has therefore played a critical role in improving international student’s satisfaction with education systems and experiences in the country (Lim, 2018, p. 47). Cultural diversity has also enhanced the development of increased research and innovation which has led to vibrant regional business networks as well as entrepreneurship. The tourism sector through the hospitality and food industry has also experienced significant improvements as a result of cultural diversity and has been able to provide increased choices for cuisines as well as dining options for visitors as well as the Australian residents. Cultural diversity has also been able to promote a culture of tolerance and resilience to the challenging cultural stereotypes among individuals in society.
Research provides that the development of a multicultural society in Australia has not been smooth but it’s a journey that has faced so many criticisms and challenges. Among the challenges was the question of multiculturalism as an element of political correctness. The critics who supported this argument provided that the cultural diversity ideology in the country provided too much attention to the needs of the minority groups in the country or the migrants at the expense of the needs of the majority ordinary Australians (Moran, 2017, p. 172). Therefore the implementation of the immigration policies has faced opposition from different government officials despite the increased public opinion on the importance of cultural diversity and contribution to the development of national identity and improved economic growth and development for the nation. The development of universal policies aimed at protecting the different cultural identities through understanding of existing cultural differences is not an essay task for the government as many groups continued to express concerns over the inclusivity issues with some groups feeling they were excluded or are not favored by the policies (Ozdowski, 2017, p. 27). However, the government has been steadfast in its efforts to promote the development of cultural diversity in the region and making the Australian economy as the best destination especially for higher learning as well as tourism. Therefore these challenges have not stooped the government efforts as well as the individual quest to become part of a multicultural society that embraces cultural diversity. Australia now boasts as the most multicultural economy or nation in the world and has enjoyed significant economic and social growth aspects.
Conclusion
From the above literature review, research evidence shows that Australia has become a multicultural nation and sees to continues strengthening its efforts to develop a society that does not support any form of racial discrimination and in which every individual whether a resident or a visitor is treated equally by the law. Different aspects of culture, arts, literature, lifestyles such as foods, sports, dressing, and music have contributed to increased cohesion and enhancement of cultural diversity. Government efforts through the development of immigration policies and effective implementation have contributed to the success of multiculturalism in Australia. Such efforts have put the country into a global rank and should challenge other countries to embrace cultural diversity as a result of increased integration activities in modern society as well as in the future.
References
Ali, J.A., 2016. Multiculturalism, Muslim radicalism, and the problematic of Muslim integration in Australia. Muslim integration: Pluralism and multiculturalism in New Zealand and Australia, pp.151-169.
Arasaratnam, L.A., 2014. A discussion of multiculturalism in Australia from educators’ perspective. SpringerPlus, 3(1), p.36.
Blair, K., 2015. Young adults’ attitudes towards multiculturalism in Australia: tensions between the multicultural state and the intercultural citizen. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 36(4), pp.431-449.
Boese, M., 2017. Theorising migrant work beyond economic multiculturalism and methodological nationalism. In Critical Reflections on Migration,‘Race’and Multiculturalism (pp. 102-119). Routledge.
Cahill, D. and Taft, R., 2017. Education of immigrants in Australia. In Educating immigrants (pp. 16-46). Routledge.
Forrest, J. and Dandy, J., 2018. Proficiency in English, linguistic shift and ethnic capital: an intergenerational analysis of non-English speaking background immigrant groups in Sydney, Australia. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 39(2), pp.111-123.
Forrest, J., 2014. ‘For those who’ve come across the seas…’: Australian multicultural theory, policy and practice.pp.56
Hlavac, J., Gentile, A., Orlando, M., Zucchi, E. and Pappas, A., 2018. Translation as a sub-set of public and social policy and a consequence of multiculturalism: the provision of translation and interpreting services in Australia. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2018(251), pp.55-88.
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Lim, L.L., 2018. A multicultural act for Australia. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 10(2), p.47.
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Soutphommasane, T., 2017. Cultural diversity in leadership: what does it say about Australian multiculturalism?. Journal of Australian Studies, 41(3), pp.287-295.
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